[Effect of referral of cancer patients to medical centers outside Golestan province on the coverage and quality of population-based cancer registry data]

Background and Objective: Considering the importance of coverage and quality of data in Golestan population-based Cancer Registry [GPCR], northern Iran. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the referral of cancer patients to medical centers outside Golestan province on the coverage of the population-based cancer registry program

Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed on all cancer patients registered in the diagnostic centers of Golestan province, northern Iran during 2008-10. Data of patients referred to the centers of the province from the bank of the Golestan province cancer registry program and data of patients referred to the centers outside the province were received from the Ministry of Health Department of Cancer. Data were analyzed using the record linkage method

Results: A total of 6083 new cases of cancer were registered in Golestan province. According to the cancer data, 678 [11%] of them were referred to outside of Golestan province centers. 343 of these 678 patients [50.6%] were found as duplicate records between the two datasets. The most frequent cases were gastric cancers [70.4%], breast [63.5%] and esophagus [62.5%]

Conclusion: This study suggested that referrals of cancer patients to centers outside the Golestan province may result in an underestimation of about 5% in GPCR. This level of underestimation seems to have no considerable effects on completeness and quality of data in the GPCR

Impact of literacy on the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Iran

Hypertension is an important global health concern claiming 7.1 million lives annually. Literacy, as an essential element of the health education, and its relationship with health has previously been studied. However, few studies have been conducted on the association between literacy and health outcomes. To assess the association between educational level and hypertension, awareness and hypertension control in the north of Iran were the main objectives of this study. The present study was a population-based cross-sectional study carried out on 3497 subjects aged 15-65 years using stratified and cluster sampling. Interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire, including blood pressure level. Blood pressure was measured three times with 5-minute intervals and defined based on JNC-7. Totally, 21.2% [741 cases] of our patients suffered from hypertension and illiterate people were significantly more aware of their disease [P=0.011]. Among the aware group, at least 89.6% [435 cases] used one method to control their disease; this however was not statistically significant among the educational levels. Control of hypertension was significantly greater in college educated group than in illiterate group [32.4% vs. 68.8%; P=0.001]. Logistic regression analysis revealed that illiteracy is a risk factor for hypertension [P<0.001]. In spite of the fact that awareness in illiterate people was high, the rate of hypertension control was low in this group. Prevention, detection, treatment, and control of hypertension especially in illiterate people should receive high priority.

Trends in waist circumference and central obesity in adults, northern Iran

The main aim of this study is to determine the central obesity trends during the period from 2006 to 2010 among 15-65 years old people in Northern Iran. This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted on 6466 subjects who had been chosen by a multi stage cluster random sampling within five steps. The subjects were randomly chosen from 325 clusters and each cluster included 20 cases. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference >/= 102 cm and >/= 88 cm in men and women, respectively. Compared to 2010, the mean waist circumference in 2006 changed from 87.2 cm to 88.1 cm in men [p=0.237], and from 90.3 cm to 88.6 cm in women [p=0.045]. The comparison between 2006 and 2010 revealed that the prevalence of central obesity slightly decreased, 6.8% and 2.4% in urban women and men, respectively. Generally, the mean of waist circumference significantly decreased in urban women [by 0.069 cm in each year; p=0.020]; however, the decrease of waist circumference in urban men was not significant [0.006 cm decrease each year; p=0.915]. The prevalence of central obesity declined among both males and females in the urban area; however, there was an attenuated increasing trend in the rural area. The disparity of trends between the two regions should be considered for further study

[Obesity and its socio-demographic related factors: an epidemiological study]

Objective[s]: To assess the obesity among 15-65 years old, some related factors and its comparison among the 11 districts during five years leading to 2010 in Golestan province

Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study that established on the 6489 cases that were chosen by cluster and random sampling. Sample size estimated based on 0.05 accuracy and 95% confidential interval. Data collected by questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were made for all samples. Obesity defined based on BMI classification. Spss.16 soft-war was used for statistical analysis

Results: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Golestan province were in men 32.4% and 14.1% and in women 30.5% and 31.8%, respectively. Statistical differences were significant between gender[P=0.001].The prevalence of overweight and obesity in urban areas were 33.7% and 25.5% and in rural area were 29.9% and 21.2%, respectively. Statistical differences were significant between location area [P=0.001].Totally, 54.5% of adult people in Golestan province suffer from overweight or obesity and they were prevalent in Ramian [45.2%] and in Bandar Gaz [61.3%] as the lowest and highest among Golestan districts, respectively. The odds ratio for obesity estimate was 1.28 [95% CI: 1.14-1.44] for urban area compared to rural area; 2.83 [95% CI:2.50-3.20] for women compared to men; 1.45 [95% CI: 1.21-1.74] in good economic group compared to poor economic group and 2.23 [95% CI:1.53-3.25] in illiterate people compared to college educated people. P=0.001 obtained for all of groups

Conclusion: In Golestan province, 31 and 23 cases from every hundred people suffer from overweight and obesity, respectively. Bandar Gaz and Rummian districts were suffering from obesity more than and less than other regions, respectively. Illiteracy and improving economic are the risk factors for the obesity and overweight in this area

Incidence of childhood cancers in Golestan province of Iran

This paper presents the incidence rates of childhood cancers using the data obtained from Golestan population based cancer registry [GPCR] between 2004 and 2006. GPCR registers only primary cancers based on standard protocols of the international association of cancer registries [IACR]. We collect data on newly diagnosed [incident] cancer cases from all public and private diagnostic and therapeutic centers of the whole province. CanReg-4 software was used for data entry and analysis. Totally 5076 cancer cases [all ages] were diagnosed in GPCR between 2004 and 2006. Of these, 139 [2.74%] were children [aged 0-14 years] with mean [ +/- SD] age of 8.06 [ +/- 4.48] years. The age standardized incidence rates for childhood cancer were 119.8 and 78.3 per 1000000 person-years in male and female children, respectively. Leukemia was the most common childhood cancer in Golestan province of Iran. Lymphomas and central nervous system tumors were the second and third ones, respectively. The incidence rates of childhood cancers were relatively high in Golestan province of Iran. So, controlling of childhood cancers should be mentioned as an important issue in health policy making in this area